The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA; ) is an independent
statutory body
A statutory body or statutory authority is a body set up by law (statute) that is authorised to implement certain legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state, sometimes by being Primary and secondary legislation, empowered or deleg ...
which sets standards for
recruitment
Recruitment is #Process, the overall process of identifying, sourcing, screening, shortlisting, and interviewing candidates for Job (role), jobs (either permanent or temporary) within an organization. Recruitment also is the process involved in ...
in the
public service of the Republic of Ireland
The public service () of Ireland refers to the entirety of public administration within the state government apparatus. The Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform defines the Irish public service as consist ...
. The CPSA licenses the Public Appointments Service (PAS), a separate body which performs the recruitment for the
Civil Service
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
and many senior and specialist roles in other parts of the public service.
Activities
The commission's main activities are as follows:
*issuing codes of practice
*carrying out audits of recruitment and selection
*investigating complaints.
Codes of practice
The commission issues codes of practice concerning recruitment and selection. There are currently five codes of practice, relating to appointments in the Civil Service and Public Service, as well as codes to deal with specific situations such as appointment of persons with disabilities, or emergency short-term appointments in the health public sector.
Recruitment and selection audits
The commission carries out audits of recruitment and selection in the public sector, all of which are published. Sometimes these include recommendations.
Complaints
The commission also investigates complaints or formal statutory requests for review under the codes in relation to specific appointments. However it may not quash or alter a recruitment decision.
Investigations
The commission may authorize investigations with wide powers including the right of entry on premises and the right to inspect documents.
Approved recruitment agencies
In a new initiative, the commission intends to establish a list of approved recruitment agencies from the private sector which may be used for public service recruitment.
Annual reports
The commission's annual reports are submitted to each House of the
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas ( ; ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of the president of Ireland and the two houses of the Oireachtas (): a house ...
and published on its official website. The commission is supported by a small staff.
Members of the commission
The Commission for Public Service Appointments consists of five members, referred to as commissioners.
Office and staff
In 2012 the Office of the Commission was amalgamated with the Office of the
Ombudsman
An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
for administration and accounting purposes.
This was for cost-cutting purposes. As a result, the commission depends on the staff of the ombudsman.
Notes
References
External links
*
Ceann ComhairleDepartment of the TaoiseachDepartment of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and ReformStandards in Public Office CommissionOffice of the Ombudsman
{{authority control
National civil service commissions
Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Government agencies of the Republic of Ireland